


Cargo

by Katherine



Series: A Transport Breed [2]
Category: Firefly, Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Alternate Universe - Temeraire Fusion, Episode: s01e04 Shindig, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 11:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8284309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: Zoe hadn't let Serenity go near enough to watch the goings-on at the party and the morning after it, nor told her much until the danger was past. But her captain had won, and been well patched up, and was supervising the job like usual.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [idelthoughts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/idelthoughts/gifts).



> For idelthoughts, because after writing "On Serenity" I kept having ideas.

Zoe hadn't let Serenity go near enough to watch the goings-on at the party and the morning after it, nor told her much until the danger was past. But her captain had won, and been well patched up, and was supervising the job like usual.

"Cargo," he said now, while Serenity nosed curiously at the full net that was going to be attached to her. Her crew were putting this discreet load on under cover of darkness. The drugged cattle were hardly moving, but she could still smell them, rich and tempting. But she would keep the cargo in careful trust, as her captain had been wounded to get the job.

"Don't rightly know if cattle drop anything in their sleep," he said thoughtfully. "But best they do it in cargo nets we got for the job."

 

Once she was in flight, Serenity felt the rustling of River emerging from her hiding place. Then the girl was moving down her side, bare feet on the harness. The safety-lines played out to their full length so that River was all but dancing. It was a little ticklish when her spread toes touched Serenity's side, but Serenity was getting used to River's ways. Besides which, Serenity had decided she might like to see dancing.

Kaylee had twirled in that froth-of-ruffles dress, showing it off to Serenity before going with Mal to the party. The dress would have been prettier with some jewels or at least gold chain, Serenity was convinced, but Kaylee liked the pink cascade of it.

River had one hand wrapped in the extra netting, her nose nearly touching it as she watched the somnolent cows. "They're dreaming," River whispered. "Sky dreams."

*

This smuggling job was nearly done, since they'd landed and got the cargo unloaded. Serenity was crouched jealously over the four head of cattle that made the in-kind part of the payment. One couldn't have a dragon transport meat, whether that meat was on the hoof or not, without her getting a share.

Serenity was sleek and well-enough fed, not so hungry as to be snatching her meals. Not more than a strong-willed dragon always did, anyway. Kaylee had joined the crew some while after Serenity took Malcolm Reynolds as her captain, so she hadn't seen the Firefly at her lowest. But Kaylee listened to Mal's stories ("Just skin and bone, in that pit they called a covert") and Zoe's ("Couldn't hardly believe the captain paid money for that kit. Straps rotten, buckles rustled. That genius harnesser he found didn't do spit.")

The captain liked to repeat that Serenity's name (given to her when she was hatched during a fashion for virtues) was a good omen. Other than that, he rarely referenced Serenity's past, not that Kaylee heard.

Serenity herself did not speak of that time before. She had been with more captains over the years than she cared to, and been badly used. But she was tightly bonded to Mal, and flew sweetly for him and his crew. Kaylee listened to her and tended her, kept the harnessing well-fitted and the makeshifts as pretty, or at any rate less ugly, as she could. Serenity deserved the best.


End file.
